Alicia Cardenas

Alicia Cardenas was an Indigenous Mexican American tattoo artist and muralist in Denver's tattoo scene who was noted for being a Chicana feminist artist in a male-centric career.[1][2] She owned the Sol Tribe tattoo shop, which had been a longstanding feature of Denver.[3] She was featured in a documentary on Chicano muralism by the Chicano Murals of Colorado Project referred to as "These Storied Walls."[4] In her community she was known as "Mama Matriarch."[5] At the age of 44 she was murdered in a mass shooting, along with four other people.[1]

Artist

In the late 1990s, she opened a tattoo shop Twisted Sol in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver. She cleaned houses and delivered pizzas to achieve her dream of opening a tattoo shop.[2]

As a muralist, she painted numerous murals throughout the city of Denver.[6] One of her notable works can be found in the Five Points neighborhood and is entitled "Crush Walls" completed in 2020.[7] She took part in the city's Babe Walls and RiNo Crush Walls events.[2]

She mentored many artists in the community.[6] She curated three art shows for the Chicano Humanities & Arts Council in Denver.[8] As an artist, she embraced the worldview of Chicanismo and interconnectedness.[2][9] She was also a social activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.[8]

She was involved in the Mesoamerican dance and arts community.[10]

Death

In 2021, at the age of 44, she was murdered in a mass shooting in Denver, along with four other people.[1] The Chicano Humanities and Arts Council, Museo de las Americas, Bobby LeFebre, and her many family and friends mourned her loss and remember her legacy.[6] She was remembered for her bright personality, always taking chances, and being a wonderful mother.[2]

She was honored as a corn mother, as part of a multi-generational and multi-cultural exhibit celebrating women.[9] Her life quote was to "become in harmony with the Earth and your fellow humans. Stay humble and work hard. Push to be a role model and show up for your community."[9]

References
  1. Kabas, Marisa (2022-06-19). "His Woman-Hating SciFi Went Viral in the 'Manosphere.' If She'd Known, Maybe She Would Have Seen Him Coming". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  2. "The Tragic Loss of North Denver Native, Alicia Cardenas – The Denver North Star". Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  3. "'Beautiful soul gone too soon': Tuesday marks 1 year since Denver-Lakewood shootings that left 5 dead". Denver 7 Colorado News. 2022-12-27. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  4. Ferguson, Emily. "A Year of Grief: Denver's Tattoo Store Shootings". Westword. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  5. "New works honor artist Alicia Cardenas who was murdered in 2021 Denver shooting spree". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  6. "Denver arts community mourns Sol Tribe owner and muralist Alicia Cardenas and others killed in mass shooting". Denverite. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  7. "Alicia Cardenas | RiNo Art District | Denver, CO". rinoartdistrict.org. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  8. Colorado Voices | Re-opening of gallery features tribute to Alicia Cardenas | PBS, retrieved 2022-12-31
  9. "Corn Mothers | Our Story". www.cornmothers.com. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  10. "Owner of Sol Tribe Custom Tattoo and Body Piercing confirmed dead in Monday's shooting spree". The Denver Post. 2021-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
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